Tushkanova was born in Ukraine in '87, but she's since moved to Moscow for better opportunities in racing. In 2013, she's just starting her first year in the Finnish Rally Championship, which is two steps down from the major leagues of the World Rally Championship.

Her rally car is the Mitsubishi Evo IX you see above, but back in her garage she's got some nice rides, too. There's a tuned Subaru wagon, two more Evos, and a V10 BMW M6.

Why go race in Finland?

Finland, as you probably know, is the great frozen well of rally driving talent, and perhaps the best place to learn how to drive on snow and gravel.

Tushkanova got asked the same thing by Playboy, and here's the answer she gave.

Nobody likes women in racing sport, which is traditionally dominated by men, because it's easier for us to attract sponsors. This magazine is prestigious enough and helps with PR.

So that's pretty bold. I thought she just wanted to look pretty.

Well, she started modeling before she started driving professionally. She says that many men, her father included, were skeptical of her wanting to be a rally driver. She's said she wants to be a world rally champion, which is a lofty goal.

Has there ever been a woman who won the World Rally Championship?

Legendary Michele Mouton crashed out of the WRC title lead in the last race of 1982. Had she not crashed, she would have won the championship with Audi in the balls-out Group B era.

Given that Tushkanova is hot, there been some trashy, sleazy, faux-journalism about her, right?

Definitely. If you're looking for a laugh, you should check out this profile of her in The Sun. Notable quotes include, "And it's her driving skill, as well as her amazing legs, which are giving male rally drivers a run for their money." And "Temperatures in the host town of Rovaniemi will not rise much above -20°C, but it won't stop rally fans getting hot under the collar — and you can see why."

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So here's a very attractive model who's not terrible at rally driving, who is working her way up the ladder and getting naked in the meantime.